The present invention relates generally to the field of garments, and, in particular, to a garment that increases blood circulation in selected areas corresponding to a person's joints, by retaining more heat in these areas than in other areas that are also covered by the garment. The garment of the invention may be active wear, specialized clothing to enhancing physical performance and recovery of the body from fatigue or injury, base layer/underwear, outer wear, wetsuit tops, bottoms or combination, or other general or special purpose coverings for parts or all of a person's body. The invention is for men, women and children.
Modern people are experiencing greater wear and tear on joints and muscles than at other times in history. Activities involve greater physical stresses than in the past due to extensive training and overuse for example in sports, marathons, bouts of plyometric exercise, endurance and strength training, and the like. Activities of our ancestors were based on moment-to-moment life sustaining needs. They walked, built, farmed, rested when tired, and only ran when chased by natural predators, for example, by sabertooth tigers. This invention was designed to augment the evolving physical needs and wants of modern people.
As will be explained more fully later in this disclosure, the current invention originates from the realization that heat stimulates vasodilation. The vascular system of the human body is an extensive network of connected blood vessels delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues and taking away waste (e.g. carbon dioxide/waste product of aerobic respiration and lactic acid/waste product of anaerobic respiration). The circulatory (transport) system is composed of arteries/veins (high volume transport), arterioles/venules (moderate volume), capillaries (low volume). Muscles have a prodigious vascular network that supply nutrients for muscles to contract, build, repair, discard waste-carbon dioxide/lactic acid and generate heat.
Joint capsules of the body's periphery, have a substantially limited vascular network, as a result low volume circulation. The purpose of the invention is to stimulate dilation of the capillary network (increase closer to moderate volume) improving heat/circulation in and around joint capsules of the body's periphery where pathways for circulation are limited (what gloves do for hands in the cold). Increased circulation improves the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and discarding of cellular waste. This effect improves mobility, performance, reduces injury and expedites regeneration (healing/recovery). Injuries related to the overuse of the joint capsule during ambulation are a common occurrence.
The human body is not designed to accommodate the physical wear and tear of modern day physical activities. The invention effectively augments our mechanical and physiological demands.
In FIG. 25 the numerals denote temperature in degrees Celsius. This drawing schematically shows that the temperature and, therefore, the blood circulation of the joint areas are far less effective then in the muscles areas. Garment technology to date has tried to solve this with sleeves and compression garments. The invention disclosed here does not use compression, which actually reduces circulation over time, but rather increases circulation and, in turn, body temperature in specific location of the body, while relaxing and while in exertion states.